Apparatus for obtaining reciprocating motion.



No. 665.9!7. Patented Jan. I5, 1901.

L. J. LE PONTOIS. APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING BECIPROCATING MOTION.

(Application filed Apr. 12, 1898.; (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheetl.

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.No. 665,9l7. Patented Jan. l5, I90l. L. J. LE PONTOIS.

APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING REGIPROCATING MOTION.

(Application filed Apr. 12, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No llodel.)

IN VENTUH 022M 12 6 A FOR/1H6 WITNESSES {THE uonms vzrzas cu. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASWNGTUN. o. c.

No.. 665,9I7. Patented Jan. I5, 190i. L. J. LE PONTOIS.

APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING RECIPBOCATING MOTION.

(Application filed Apr 12, 1898.)

3 ShaetsSheet 3.

(No Model.)

THE NCRRVS FUERS :0 PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, o. c.

UNITED STATES LEON J. LE PONTOIS, OF PITTSBURG,

PATENT OFFICE.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO GUSTAVE A. F. AHLBERG, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,917, dated January 1 5, 1901.

Application filed April 12,1898.

T aZZ whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEON J. Ln PONTOIS, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Obtaining Reciprocating Motion; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for con- IO verting electrical energy into direct reciprocating motion for the purpose of driving pumps, rock-drills, compressors, or other devices to which it may be found applicable.

The invention relates to the general class of motors known as reciprocating electric motors, but differs from those heretofore employed in the method used in obtaining the reciprocating motion.

The invention consists, generally stated, in

causing a conductor or conductors carrying current to be reciprocated in a unipolar magnetic field by the action exerted on the flux surrounding the conductor by the flux of the stationary field, the reciprocating motion of z 5 the conductor being obtained by reversing the current passing through the conductor. The invention also consists in suitable apparatus for carrying out the above, all of which will be fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

0 To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my in- 5 vention as applied to an ordinary type of pump. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the reversing mechanism on the line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. dis a diagrammatic view of the switch and its connections and the coils. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5, Fig. 1. Figs. 6 and 7 are views showing the disposition of the magnetic fields in relation to the direction of motion.

5 Like characters of reference indicate like parts in each figure.

In the drawings the letter or represents a suitable shell or casing, which is attached to the valve-chamber b of a common form of pump, said valve-chamber having the piston 0, operating in the cylinder d, and the piston- $erial No. 677,283. on model.)

rod 6, extending out through suitable stuffing-box f. As the construction of this part of the pump does not have any bearing on my invention, a further description of the same will be unnecessary.

Located within the shell or casing 0t is the stationary unipolar magnetic field coil it, properly insulated in the ordinary manner and connected up to a suitable electric gon- 6o erator. (Not shown.) Within the iield-coil h is the iron core 2', said core extending forward into the cylinder 7c, formed within the shell or casing a. The stationary magnetic field may be in the form of a permanent magnet,ifdesired. Surroundiugthecoreiwithin the cylinder is the movable coil Z, which surrounds the sleeve on, the said movable coil being insulated from the sleeve m by suitable insulating material a. The wires 70 used on the movable coil are preferably of soft iron in order to reduce the reluctance of the magnetic circuit. The sleeve mis formed in sections, said sections being connected at their ends by the fibrous or non-metallic rings 0. These sections do not join each other, but are separated by suitable space, as shown in Fig. 5, so that no eddy-currents can be induced in the sleeve m. Rings 1 of suitable insulating material surround the core 2' and separate it from the sleeve 072, so that a slight space is left between said core and sleeve.

In the above manner it will be observed that the movable coil l is free to move back and forth over the core 2'. Rods 5 connect the sleeve m, carrying the movable coil Z, with the standard 3, to which the piston-rod e is attached. The rods .9 move in contact with the brushes 8 said brushes being suitably insulated from the sockets s and being forced into contact with said rods by means of the springs .9 The brushes are connected up by Wires to the contacts 11 respectively. The rods 5 are insulated properly from the standard s. This standard 3 passes up through a suitable slot or opening a in the shell or casing a, and through the upper end of said standard passes the rod 25, said rod having the rings t i thereon. On the rod 25 is the sliding sleeve L provided with collars or rings t 25 I00 The sleeve t also passes through the opening in the upper end of the standard .9. The upper end of said standard 8, moving back and forth in the manner hereinafter set forth, comes in contact with the rings 25 t and moves the sleeve and afterward the rod 1 in the manner hereinafter set forth. Pivoted to the sleeve 25 are the studs u to, having the heads 10 which fit in the sockets a pivoted to the rigid arms to. Springs a are interposed between the heads a and the inner ends of said sockets. The rod 25 passes through a suitable stuffing-boxinto the box or chambere, mounted on the casing Ct. Secured to the rod t within the box 1) are the bearings 12, suitably insulated from said rod t,'said bearings having the seats c therein, adapted to receive the journals 2: of the frames 1;, in which the rollers to w are mounted, normally forced outward by springs u One set of rollers w are adapted to move in contact with the contactpieces m m at" in the bottom of the box c, while the set of rollers 10 is adapted to move in contact with the contact-pieces g y y y at the top of the box Q).

Mounted on the box 1) is a suitable switch z for making and breaking the circuit to the motor. The box 1) is filled with glycerin or other insulating fluid through the inlet 1). This glycerin acts to prevent the formation of sparks by introducing an enormous resistance in the breaking of the current.

It is of course to be understood that I do not wish to limit myself in any way to the particular construction illustrated and described, but desire to include within the scope of my invention all other constructions which will produce like results.

The operation of myinvention is as follows: In Fig. 1 of the drawings the movable coil Z is represented as moving in the direction of the arrow, and the operation will be described with that fact in view. The magnetic flux set up in the stationary magnetic circuit by the field-coil h flows through the core *6 and passes radially therefrom through the sleeve m across the conductors of the movable field l, exerting a mechanical action or drag on those conductors, which tends to move the movable coil in the direction of the arrow. The mutual action of the magnetic fluxes is clearly represented in Figs. 6 and '7. In Fig. 6, where the movable conductor or conductors are moving in the direction of the arrow A, the magnetic flux set up in the cored and represented by the lines of force B exerts on the fields O, surrounding the movable conductors, a repelling action on one side and an attractive action on the other side. This results in the displacement of the conductors in the direction of arrow A. Fig. 7 is a like representation of this action of the magnetic fluxes after the current in the movable conductors has been reversed. In this case the direction of movement of the movable conductors is reversed, and they travel in direction of arrow D. As the movable coil moves in a field of uniform density, the force exerted by the stationary field on the movable coil is constant at all points of the stroke, this force being the product of both fields. IVith the movable coil Z moving in this direction the rollers 10 will be in contact with the contact-pieces 0c and the rollers w in contact with the contact-pieces 1 The movable coil Zcontinues to move in the direction of the arrow until it has reached the full length of its stroke or approximately the end of the cylinder 7;, whereupon the current will be reversed. This is accomplished in the following manner: As the movable coil moves in the direction stated, the standard 3, moving therewith, will come in contact with the ring i and will move the sleeve i As soon as the standards strikes the ring 6 the sleeve i will carry the studs It it into a vertical position and compress the springs w. by a slight further movement of the standard 3' the studs will be thrown beyond a vertical line, whereupon the springs it immediately expand and carry the sleeve forward at an increasedspeed, causing the rollers w to quickly break contact with their contactpieces a; a" and y y, and thus break the current. By a still further movement of the sleeve '6 now in contact with the ring '6 the rod continues to move until the rollers 20 10 pass from the contact-pieees 0; onto the contact-pieces m 03 and g This reverses the current, and as the standard .5" moves in the opposite direction the above action is repeated in a reverse order. The passage of the rollers 20 w from their contact-blocks 0; OJ and y 3 to the contact-blocks x will introduce resistances in the movable coil 5, shortcircuiting it through those resistances. The movable coilZ being thus in closed circuit while it moves in a magnetic field, a current is induced in the movable coil which tends to stop its further movement, and thus assists the reversing action of the current. This also acts to cushion the stroke of the movable coil and prevents wear and tear and undue strain on the machine. By the time, however, that the movable coil has reached the end of its stroke the rollers w to will be carried onto the contact-pieces m w" and y y", whereupon the current is reversed and the movable coil moves in the opposite direction in the same manner. In order that it may be clearly understood what is the action of the contactrollers in this reversing operation, I will refer specially to the diagrammatic view in Fig. 4, which clearly illustrates this action. In that figure the switch .2 being closed the current passes by the main 5 to the stationary field-coil h, which is constantly in the circuit and never reversed, and back by the main 6. A branch from the main 5 leads to the contacts at and when the rollers are in the position shown in Fig. 2 the current passes to the contact 00 through the rollers w to the contact w,through the connection 7 to the contact 3 through the movable coil Z to the contact m through the connection 8 to the contact y, and through the rollers w to the contact y, and returns through the branch 9 to the main 5, thus completing the circuit. Connecting the several contactpieces a: as, m as, y y, and 1 if are the non-inductive resistance-coils 10, which tend to minimize the spark when the break is made between the rollers and said contact-pieces. It is evident from the above that when the rollers pass over in contact with the contactpieoes 00 03 and g g the current will be reversed and will pass through the movable coil in an opposite direction.

Owing to the small amount of current passing through the movable coil in comparison with that passing through the field-coil h, the so-called armature reaction is reduced to a minimum, and the reversing of the current can take place without any appreciable sparking. Furthermore, notwithstanding the comparatively low speed at which the movable coil must be driven in the case of a pump or like mechanism self current regulation becomes possible owing to the very high strength of the stationary field in comparison with that of the movable coil, enabling the latter to generate counter electromotive force at low speed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In apparatus forobtaining reciprocating motion,a stationary conductor and a movable conductor acted on by the fiuX of said stationary conductor, means for reversing the current through one of said conductors and means for momentarily placing said conductor in closed circuit.

2. In apparatus for obtaining reciprocating motion, the combination with a stationary field-magnet, of a movable conductor acted on by the flux of said field, means for reversing the current through said movable conductor, and means for momentarily placing said movable conductor in closed circuit.

3. In apparatus for obtaining reciprocating motion, the combination with a stationary field-magnet, of a movable conductor acted on by the flux of said field, a current-reversing means for said movable conductor,said means being so constructed as to momentarily place said movable conductor in closed circuit during the reversing operation.

4.. In apparatus for obtainingreciprocating motion, the combination with a stationary field-magnet, of a movable conductor acted on by the flux of said field, a current-reversing means for said movable conductor,said means being so constructed as to momentarily place said movable conductor in closed circuit through a resistance during the reversing operation.

5. In apparatus for obtaining reciprocating motion, the combination with a stationary field-maguet,of a movable conductor acted on by the iiux of said field, current-reversing means for said movable conductor,said means being so constructed as to momentarily place said movable conductor in closed circuit during the reversing operation, and connections between said movable conductor and the current-reversing means for operating the latter.

6. In apparatus for obtaining reciprocating motion, a stationary field-magnet, a movable conductor acted on by the flux of said field, a movable rod having a stop thereon, currentreversing mechanism on said rod, a slidable sleeve on said rod, a spring-toggle carried by said sleeve, and connections between said sleeve and said conductor, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said LEON J. LE PONToIs, have hereunto set my hand.

LEON J. LE PONTOIS.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. ToTTEN, R0131. D. TOTTEN. 

